The Revenge: Remastered
by rewriting-my-mistakes
Summary: It had been fifteen years since Chell was freed from Aperture. She started her life as a normal, functioning member of society. She even had a daughter. However, what will happen if her past foes try to drag her and her child back to her old life? Will she be strong enough to save her daughter from the same fate she suffered? OC/human!Wheatley
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1:_**

A scream echoed through the house, and Chell woke form her, thankfully, dreamless sleep. The woman jumped out of bed hurriedly. It had been fifteen years since she had escaped Aperture and started her new life on the surface. She even had a daughter, Cara, who was thirteen. Though she managed to make her life relatively normal, her dreams were haunted by the treacherous laboratory and the malicious AI who ruled like a queen over it.

Chell's bare feet pounded against the floor with each step as she ran to her daughter's room, the sound of screaming and clattering coming from there, "Cara?!" She called to her daughter, though didn't get a response.

She burst into her daughter's room, "Cara I'm here-!" She stopped, gasping in surprise at what was before her.

Cara was in the clutches of a strange man, his tall form standing over her like a demon. He chuckled and stepped forward, dragging the whimpering, crying Cara with him. His almost strawberry blonde hair shone in the scant light pouring through the doorway, the glare from his glasses along with his devilish grin struck the former test subject with fear. Her thoughts went wild. What was he doing here? What did he want with Cara? Why did his chuckle sound so familiar?

"Hello Love." he said, his voice dripping with contempt, "It's been a while, huh?"

The gears in Chell's brain were working overtime, trying to figure out how she knew the man. The clothes weren't familiar, and neither was the backpack that seemed to weigh him down. That voice, the pet name, there was only one person she knew that spoke like that, and he wasn't even a person. She stepped back in horror and disbelief when she had realized who was standing in front of her. God, how was this possible?

"Wheatley?" She asked, her voice hushed as if his name was a curse.

"Correct, my brain-damaged friend!" He said with a condescending smile, "Took a little while to figure that one out, though I should've anticipated that. You were never the brightest banana in the bunch. Anyways, I'm back and better than ever! What do you think of my new getup?"He asked sarcastically, "Do you think it's too much?"

Her eyes furrowed as she balled her hands into fists to stop the shaking, "I...I don't understand... Why are you here? _How_ are you you here? How are you _human_?" Her confusion was making her indignant.

Wheatley took another step forward, Cara whimpering as he dragged her along. Chell could see her daughter visibly trembling with fear. Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears continuing to roll down her face. She wouldn't dare look at her captor, let alone fight against him. She knew that there was no way she could get herself out of this. The helplessness of it all made her more anguished. Her eyes pleaded for her mother to save her, to do whatever she could to get her free.

"GLaDOS rescued me. Plucked me from the cold vacuum of space. She even found a human body I could live in. A _real_ human body! No more management rails or being picked up and dropped like a piece of trash! I can go where ever I want, whenever I want!" His smile, for a small moment, turned genuinely happy. However, his lips quickly curled into a snarl, "That was two years ago. I was floating around for _thirteen years_ , Chell!"

Chell's eyes darted from her daughter to Wheatley; was this her fault? Her heart was pounding in her ears as she tried to figure out a way out of this. She had no portal gun, she had nothing but her words to free her daughter.

"What does this have to do with Cara?" She asked, trying to steady her voice.

His lips pulled back into a mirthful smile, "Think of her as an...incentive." Wheatley's grip tightened at the word, eliciting a sob from Cara.

Chell bit her lip, practically frozen in place, "Incentive for what?" She demanded.

"Come back to Aperture."

Her heart sank as her eyes went downcast. The order was simple enough, but she couldn't do it. That part of her was long behind her, and she was not about to go back to that hellhole.

"I..."She began quietly, "I can't. I won't go with you! That part of me is gone, Wheatley..."

His smile fell,"alright, alright, fair enough." He chuckled, looking to Cara, "I guess you're going in you mother's place, then."

She fought against him once more, trying to reach for Chell, "No! Please, Mom, don't let him take me!" She cried before he yanked her back to him.

"Shut up!" He barked at the preteen, making her whimper quietly.

When he tugged her, Chell stepped forward, "Please!" She pleaded, "Don't hurt her!"

His smile returned, "Oh, _I_ wont hurt her. Though, I can't promise GLaDOS won't." He chuckled, "Nevertheless, I really must go. Say goodbye to your precious daughter, Chell."

A hand freed itself and pressed a button on his backpack, and it sprouted some sort of jet pack. The engine started up, lifting both Cara and Wheatley off the ground. Cara began to scream once more, struggling against him and calling out for her mother. By the time Chell sprang into action, He was already out the window, which was broken from his entry. She ran to the window, hearing Cara's scream grew fainter and fainter as they disappeared into the horizon.

Chell had never felt so helpless in her life. She collapsed on the floor, tears welling in her eyes. This couldn't be happening. This was all just a bad dream. She just watched her old enemy, her old _friend_ , take away her child, and she did nothing to stop it. She cradled her face in her hands, breaking into racking sobs.

* * *

Chell awoke that morning from the cold breeze the broken window let in. She hadn't even noticed she passed out on the floor. She gasped her daughter's name as she sat up frantically. Her denial was still evident as she tried to convince herself that she was still dreaming. However, the pain of the sharp glass on her leg brought her to reality. It wasn't a dream, this was real, and she had to rescue Cara. She had to return to Aperture.

She stood up, groggily dusting herself off as she looked around. Cara's blanket was tossed around, laying on the floor in a haphazard pile. A lot of her belongings that were usually on her dresser or side table were on the floor, either broken or close to it. The signs showed an evident fight between Wheatley and her daughter. It made her wonder how long this had gone on before she woke up, and whether or not she would've been able to save her if she had woken up faster. However, none of this mattered now. She just needed her back.

Chell had kept everything she had with her when she was finally allowed to leave Aperture in the attic. Although she knew it reminded her of the trauma she experienced in the depths of the laboratory, she didn't have the heart to let them go. Climbing up to the attic, she immediately spotted her things. Her jumpsuit and long fall boots sat neatly on top of her companion cube. She touched the charred, dented cube, remembering the deadly tests she had to perform during those days. Now, the cube just sat there, collecting dust along with her other things. Grabbing the clothes from the cube, she shook the dust from the fabric and immediately began to throw it on.

A part of her wondered if she still had it in her, if she'd be able to go back into that place without completely breaking down. She knew that regardless, she had to go back. There was no other choice. However, she was filled with dread as she imagined the new horrors that awaited her return. What did GLaDOS plan for her? What did she plan for Cara? Was she doomed to solve an endless stream of tests, just like Chell was? The thought terrified her, driving her to move faster. After she put on her long-fall boots, She grabbed a duffel bag and left to the kitchen. She grabbed as much food as she could fit into the bag, not knowing how long she'd be gone. The former test subject grabbed her keys and began to leave through the front door.

Before she left, she took one last look of the house. It felt as if she was saying goodbye to her new life, like that was the last time anything would ever be normal again. She felt foolish that she ever thought it was possible to be normal after everything. No matter how long it took, something always dragged her back. She remembered everything that happened in that house. Cara took her first steps in the living room. She spoke her first words in the kitchen. This house, her home, housed so many memories. It just broke her heart to leave it. Her face hardened with determination, and she left, locking the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

Cara jolted up with a gasp, her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. She looked around frantically, her eyes flitting between detains in the strange room. It reminded her of a hotel room, honestly. The giant, tacky accent wall in front of her depicted a Hawaiian sunset. There were mounted lamps on either side of the bed she was in, and a television on the wall in front of her. The room, though seemingly harmless, struck her to the bone with fear.

"Oh! Brilliant! You're awake!" A man observed from the side of the room.

Her head snapped to the side where the man was at, letting out a scream. It was the man from before. She heard her mom call him Wheatley. How did he know her? What had they been talking about when he took her? Wheatley grimaced, though was startled, closing the book that he seemed to be reading. He seemed to only be on the second page.

"Ah," He winced, "I see you're doing the, um, screaming thing... again. Got quite the pair of lungs on you- not in a bad way! And you're very vocal too! Nice change of pace, your mum was never a chatter box- Actually, if I remember correctly, there was, uh, _no_ chatter on her end. So that's good, that's great, actually! But, uh, if you could please refrain from the screaming. These ears are a lot more sensitive than my old ones. Well, not ears. They were just microphones then..."

Cara was frozen in place, watching him ramble on nervously. Her confusion grew with every word he spoke. This wasn't the same person that tried to take her, not by a long shot. Suddenly, the door swung open, and a woman briskly walked in, towards the still waffling Wheatley. Her dark brown bob swaying as she walked. She was in more formal attire than the man, A fitted blazer over a white shirt with a black pencil skirt.

"Will you _ever_ shut up?" She asked, stopping in front of him.

Wheatley jumped, "Bloody- would you learn to knock?"

"Would you learn to do what I say? I told you specifically not to go in here!"

His eyes went downcast, though glanced to Cara every once in a while, "I thought I could, uh, maybe be the first one she sees when she wakes up. That way, I'd have at least a little bit of time to make her not afraid of me, so she'd be a little more inclined to do what we say-"

"Stop. Talking." She ordered, finality in her voice.

He threw his hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay, stopping, I'm stopping now! All stopped!"

The woman sighed and pinched her nose, "Besides, What you did had the exact opposite effect." She gestured to Cara, who was partially hidden under the blankets, "See, you scared her half to death!"

Her hand left her face and she approached the girl, her face going soft. As she took a step closer, Cara scooted back. There was something about this woman, something that made Cara trust her less than Wheatley. She terrified her.

"Hey," She said softly, "It's alright, we won't hurt you."

"Who are you?" Cara finally squeaked.

"My name is GLaDOS." She stuck her thumb to the man behind her, "The idiot behind me is Wheatley. We're... friends of your mother's."

"'Friends.'" She echoed, scowling, "Yes, that's why you snatched me from my bed and are holding me hostage."

"I don't like that word, 'hostage,' sounds too " Wheatley cut in, "How about 'partially unwilling guest?'"

Cara glared at the man, "' _Partially_ unwilling' is the understatement of the century."

"You're only here because your mother refused to go." GLaDOS said with finality, "We originally wanted her, but I suppose you'll do."

"Wanted her for what?" She asked, "Where even _are_ we?"

GLaDOS furrowed her eyebrows, "She never told you anything about her past, did she?"

Cara shook her head, "No, I never asked... She's been pretty ordinary all my life. She was in the PTA, I thought she was boring..."

There was a glint in her eye as she listened, as if there was an idea visibly forming. The girl didn't know what to make of it. Though, it caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand.

"Well, I consider it my responsibility to catch you up." She said, , beginning to pace, "you see, before you were even a concept in her, frankly deranged, brain, your mother was a test subject for Aperture Science. She worked for us for a very long time, might I add. In the middle of testing, she snapped. She actively tried to escape, prying off wall panels, anything to get her out. She eventually made it to my chamber and proceded to kill me. Brutally.-"

"Wait, what? Kill you?" Cara squeaked, a modicum of anger bubbling up in her voice, "You expect me to believe that? My mom is the most docile person you'll ever meet. Second, you're standing right in front of me, clear as day."

GLaDOS closed her eyes, "Oh, I suppose I forgot some details. We aren't human. At least, we aren't supposed to be anymore."

She curled up more, eyes wide with bewilderment, "I dont understand what you mean..."

GLaDOS continued, "All of the artificial intelligence at Aperture isn't quite artificial. Each personality was an actual person at one point, all Aperture employees. Most were willing, other's not so much- but that's besides the point. Everyone who.. donated their personality for science had their bodies cryogenically refrigerated inside the facility. They all are there, just sitting there. I, up until recently, was the mainframe that kept this place running like new. Wheatley..." She looked over to him, "We won't talk about he was. Anyways, due to an error, I've been forced to spend Apertures limited resources on rescuing Him and putting us in bodies so we could resolve the error."

"What 'error'? And why do my mother and I have anything to do with this?"

"During your mother's testing, I created, or co-created the Cooperative Testing Initiative. The purpose was to completely phase out human testing, and replace it with androids. Only two prototypes where made, and, unfortunately, both were destroyed. If it weren't for the little idiot behind me, We'd have the code to replace them, but we don't. He deleted them from my mainframe. So, I rescued him, and made him retrieve your mother... or you. Meanwhile, I have to search through this labyrinth of a facility to find the original blueprints. Of course, we couldn't complete these tasks in our android bodies. And I thought, 'there are bodies just sitting in the facility, taking up space. If there was a way to get their personalities out, there must be a way to put them back in.' Ultimately, there was. and that is how we are here now."

"So...I'm here...because you need someone to test...?" Cara asked.

GLaDOS nodded, her angular face ridged and cold.

"And If I refuse?"

She chuckled softly, "I'd think it's adorable that you think you have a choice in the matter. Whether you consent or not, your testing begins tomorrow." She gave the teenager a smug smile, "Get some rest. You'll need it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to tie up some loose ends"

The woman left, closing the door. She mentally pleaded not to be left alone with her captor, to take him with her. Wheatley turned from the door to Cara, smiling nervously.

"We'll...uh..I'm gonna go too..." he said, slowly standing up, "Welcome to Aperture!"

He scrambled out the door, following GLaDOS. Finally alone, Cara curled up in bed, hugging herself for some sort of comfort. Even though the room she was in resembled a hotel, She could hear the echoing, creaking of metal outside the walls. Clattering steel and whirring machines reverberated off the beams holding everything up. She tried to guess how big the facility was by just the echoes, but tho no avail. God, how far down was she? She squeezed her eyes shut, letting a few tears roll down her cheeks. Never had she felt so small, so helpless, so alone.

Cara buried her head in her pillow, spending the rest of the night crying for her mom.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

Cara supposed she'd have to get used to waking up in a new environment each morning-if it even was morning.

The light in her new room was harsher than that of the faux hotel room, that she knew even with her eyes closed. However, no matter how long she tried to prepare herself for the light, it still blinded her when she finally opened her eyes. As she did, the speakers around her turned on.

"Good Morning, and welcome to Aperture Science's Computer- Aided Enrichment Center." It was GLaDOS, her monotonous voice filled the room. She sounded as if she was reciting a script rather than speaking to Cara, "We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault was a pleasant one."

As GLaDOS droned on, Cara took the liberty of sitting up and walking around in the room she was in. She first observed that she was not in the same clothes as before. She was wearing a jumpsuit, a uniform of some kind, and she wore weird looking boots that used a brace as the heel. The room she was in was barely a room, more like a glass terrarium with a bed, radio, and toilet. She could barely see outside of the glass because of the glare, but she could make out a few things, a door, a tube, and a button.

"..We are now ready to begin the test proper." She continued, "The portal will open, and your testing will begin in three, two, one."

The white panel beside Cara warped, a glowing, blue ring appearing in the center. The girl screamed a little as it did, staring at it in surprise. She'd never seen anything like that before. It was as if a hole was made in the wall, but it didn't open to the other side of the terrarium. Instead, as she looked through it, she found she was looking directly at the glass room. Her mouth agape with wonder, she hesitantly stuck her hand through. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, it was as if she was sticking her hand out into a room and feeling the differences in temperature.

"What you are playing with right now is called a portal." GLaDOS said, "These intra-dimensional gates have been proven to be completely safe. Please step through the portal to begin your testing."

Cara sighed, then stepped through. She scanned her new environment. It was very plain, white floors, walls, and ceilings. The only things that added a modicum of color to the basic room were the red button in the center of the floor and the orange lights that connected it to the door. Above the door, which looked like a large hatch, was a camera with the lens focusing one her. From behind her, Cara heard a loud, metallic crash. She screamed in surprise, whipping her head around to see what caused the clatter. Behind her was a giant metal cube, teetering from side to side until it was finally steady.

"This is the Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube." GLaDOS said, "It is a crucial piece for cube and button testing, which is Aperture's primary testing initiative. In the future, please refrain from screaming at important testing apparatus. It solves nothing."

The speakers chirped off once more, and Cara was left to her own devices. She circled the cube, watching ut as if is was a snake about to lunge at her. It never did; it was truely just a cube. Her attention turned to the button. The solution was simple: place the button on the cube, and the door will open. However, did she really want to just comply to her kidnapper's demands? After all, her mother _was_ coming back for her. It would make more sense to just stay put until she's found, right?

She looked to the camera, seeing it zoom and focus. It was still fixed on her. The cold, mechanical lens forced a shiver down her spine, it's gaze menacing and calculated. She thought of what the woman was doing as she peered at her through the camera, what she was thinking as she watched. Cara's eyes narrowed at the lens, as if she were looking into her eyes, and sat down on the storage cube. She refused to be a part of this.

"What are you doing, Cara." GLaDOS demanded, the monotony in her voice fading and showing her annoyance.

"Waiting for my mom." Cara said with finality.

"Well, that'll be a long wait. Your mother isn't coming for you." The woman lied.

She glared at the lens, "You're lying. She's coming for me! I know she is!"

"Well, I know a fact she isn't. She's not going to come for you because she knows whats down here, and she knows that it is impossible to escape. The only reason she is alive and on the surface is because I let her. I will not readily make that mistake again." GLaDOS explained, "She's not going to risk her freedom for her child."

"Liar!" She cried, standing again.

"You saw her that night. Wheatley had you, you were at his mercy, yet she still refused to go back. She doesn't care about you, Cara. She doesn't care enough to save you."

Her eyes fell to the floor, feeling her words penetrate her heart. She was right.

"I was right there...She was just ten feet away from me..." Tears collected in her eyes, "She just stood there...She didn't save me...She didn't even _try._ "

"Protocol requires you to continue, Cara" She said.

She shook her head, sitting back down. Cara let her tears roll freely down her cheeks without catching them. Cradling her arms, the empty chamber began to echo with her sobs. The feeling of helplessness weighted heavy on her mind. Her mom wasn't coming for her. She was stuck here, for as long as they wanted her. No one was going to save her. Her heart beat out of her chest,blood pounding in her ears as she cried out in anguish.

GLaDOS watched the girl cry for a while before sighing, "Cara, I'll tell you what." She began, smiling behind the camera, "You finish all the tests we have for you, and we'll let you go."

Cara stared up at the camera, "...y-you will...?" she asked, her voice quiet and thick with tears.

"You just have to solve the tests, Cara, then we'll let you go." She said, her voice almost soothing to the younger girl.

After this, Cara shot up again, wrapping her arms around the cube to lift it. It was heavy, but she managed to carry it all the way to the button. The doors opened and she stepped through.

"Excellent job. Now, enter the lift and you will be taken to the next chamber."

* * *

GLaDOS turned off the microphone once more, turning to leave the room. She was more hurried than usual, graceful pace. She finally had Cara doing what she wanted- now to milk her for all that she had. GLaDOS knew that Chell would be back soon enough. She swore to herself that she's not going to make the same mistake twice. She was going to kill the former test subject.

However, in the state she, and the facility, was in, she could do next to no damage. She needed time. Time to prepare, to test, even to get Cara on her side. In the state of emergency, all test subjects had a chip installed to remotely put them under stasis. Chell was no exception. If she could get to her mainframe, she could put her under for as long as she needed.

"You monitor the next test. I have work to do." She said to Wheatley as she left.

Wheatley turned to the woman, confused, "Hey! Wait, where are you going?"

"Buying more time!"


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four_**

In hindsight, Chell shouldn't have chosen to live as far away from Aperture as she could.

Years ago, it seemed like a good idea: stay away from the lab and move on. However, in the grand scheme of things, it just made everything more difficult. She sat in the cramped bus, staring absently out the window. The long trip at least gave her time to think, to reflect.

She remembered when she first got out. Her muscles ached as she stood in the vast field, staring up at the sky. The clouds in the air were only blurry, white flecks in her eyes due to the joyful tears that burned as they fled down her dirty cheeks. It didn't feel real to her, but it had to have been. The wind gentle caressed her skin, a sensation she was never familiar with. Her legs buckled with exhaustion at that moment, posting herself on her companion cube to stay upright. Her weariness didn't take a toll on the pure unadulterated elation she felt. For the first time in her entire life, she was _free_.

A few months later, she found herself in front of an office, sitting in front of a well-dressed man. She was never good at speaking, only making incomprehensible sounds to convey an emotion. The man taught her how to compound those sounds, group them together in a manner people could understand. He taught her to speak. He taught her how to saw his name: Luke. It felt weird on her tongue at first, but when she first said it, he lit up. It was like that nearly every time she said it, he'd give her a prideful smile. Chell lived with the man while she was being taught. She wasn't able to communicate, so she wasn't able to get a job or a house. He saved her life. He was her first friend that she made on the surface.

Of course, she couldn't stay forever. She told him she didn't want to be a burden to him, so she left. She moved far from the town she was staying at, the small town that was surrounded by the field she emerged from. She always hated how close she lived to it, that terrible, terrible place. She flocked to the city after that. The great distance gave her a sense of security, and the lack of vegetation prevented her from thinking of the rolling hills of wheat she first saw.

Her mind shifted to the future. The unknown.

Chell knew she wasn't going to be able to go in there, guns figuratively blazing. The only chance to save Cara was to be as inconspicuous as possible. Her plan really couldn't go past that. This was a whole new ball game, and she had no idea what she was walking into. She had no idea if Wheatley was the only one human, or if GLaDOS also somehow turned herself. And if she was human, would she be walking around or staying in her chamber? The many unknown variables made her head spin.

In fact, it felt like the room was spinning. Her dizziness made her head lull back and forth, alarming her as she felt it grow worse. This wasn't confusion, no. This wasn't Claustraphobia or anything like that either. Something was wrong. Her stomach began to churn, and she got up to use the bathroom in the back. While doing so, she accidentally shoves her hand in the face of the person next to her.

"Hey, watch it, lady!" He cried as she quickly drew her hand away from his face.

She mumbled a quick apology, trying to think what it could possibly be. Dizziness, nausea, disorientation, light-headedness, what was it? She stood in the walkway, swaying. She remembered feeling similar to this a few times. It used to be a part of her life back then.

She didn't know how, but they were putting her in stasis.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" an older woman asked her, eyes furrowed with concern.

Chell shook her head, mumbling 'no,no..' to herself. She tried to rub her eyes, dig her nails into her arm, anything to keep her awake. Nothing was working. Her legs collapsed from under her, crumbling to the floor as she desperately tried to stay awake.

The woman near her gasped and called for the bus driver to stop the bus, and another man stood up, in front of her. Her eyes, the only things she had the energy to move now, examined the worried expression. In the back of her mind, she knew she recognized him, but it wasn't quite registering. She quietly called for help, saying something about GLaDOS, and how she had her daughter. However, no one could quite understand her slurred speech.

"Chell!" The man called her, kneeling in front of her.

Her eyes glanced back up at him, her vision beginning to blur. She knew that voice. The rumbling baritone that seemed to pierce her ears. The thrumming cadence as he said her name. It was the voice that taught her to find her own, the voice that save her life.

"…Luke…" Was all she could make out before she lost consciousness.

...

 _Sedation Complete: Subject Now in Stasis_

GLaDOS's smile widened as she walked away from the computer. Wheatley stood behind her, watching with bewilderment. He followed behind her, scrambling to keep pace.

"Wait, wait, I'm still confused. _What_ exactly were you doing?" He asked.

"Every test subject before testing had an emergency chip installed in their head. This chip was to, if the need arose, remotely release the hormones and chemicals we use to put the subject into stasis. I used her chip to buy us more time."

Wheatley was silent for a moment, "..For how long?"

She raised an eyebrow, "How long do you want? We could put her in an indefinite comatose state if we wanted to." She chuckled, "I'll turn it off when we're ready."

Returning to the testing moderation room, she glanced at the screen. Cara was in the process of placing a cube on its button. She was already getting faster at the tests.

"For now, we just get ready. We get ready, and convince Cara it's better here than with Her," She said.

The door opened and Cara stepped through. GLaDOS turned on the speakers again and spoke into the microphone.

"Excellent job, Cara." She said with a grin, "You'll be out of here in no time at all."

* * *

 **I don't usually like doing authors notes unless completely necessary, but here I am.**

 **Hello Readers! I want to know how you guys think about this work so far. I'm kind of in need of feedback at the moment, so if any of you guys could review, that'd be awesome! If theres a problem with the writing i dont see, please tell me. Or, hey, if you just really like the story, let me know! I love having my ego stroked! Anyways, sorry for the note. Bye guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

In the five years Cara had been trapped in Aperture, there was one thing that never got old.

Cara flew through the air, the momentum from jumping down to her portal making her launch out the other. As she stuck the landing, she grinned. She had always loved that part of being a test subject. Soaring like a bird through the recycled air of the facility, as if she were free.

Of course, she knew she wasn't. She wasn't going to be free unless she did what she was told, which was to complete every single test She had for her. She, GLaDOS, would end the day, every day, with reassuring her that she wasn't that far away from freedom. A part of Cara, a long time ago, came to the conclusion that she was only saying that to spare her feelings, make her less scared. Regardless, she powered through them through the five years she had been there. Besides, its not like they were extraordinarily hard, difficult yes, but not exceedingly so.

She stuck the landing, placing her cube on the button. She waited to hear the satisfying blip from the door before rejoicing. This was one of the more difficult tests she had solved, and she was proud of herself.

Walking through the door, she heard the chirp of the speakers go off, "Brilliant! Another test solved by the extraordinary Cara! " she heard Wheatley praise.

A smile graced her lips. She and Wheatley were definitely on better terms since the day she was taken. He wasn't at all what she had thought he was. He was sweet, and his babbling was endearing. He didn't seem to care about GLaDOS's wishes, at least whenever the woman wasn't there. He oversaw most of her testing, filling her with praise. He gushed about how smart she was, and how quickly she would do a test. However, that's not truly the reason why her opinion changed.

Its because of the days where she wasn't doing as well that changed her outlook. It was the days where she felt overwhelmed, that she couldn't possibly get out. It was the days that she felt like the walls were closing in, suffocating her. He was there. His voice over the speaker telling her to breathe, to relax. He was the one that reassured her that the test was solveable, that she needed to keep trying. He would tell her he believed in her, that she was going to get out of there.

"Wow, seriously, that was amazing! All that... Jumping and.. Uh, portal shooting... Ah, You really are a master at this, aren't you?"

Cara laughed, stepping in the lift, "Where to next? " she asked, smiling. She was awfully cheerful after her adrenaline rush.

"Uhh, test chamber one-nine-three-five." he said, closing the doors and bringing the lift up, "turrets, and a pit ahead. Use caution, love." he warned.

She nodded, "Warning noted." She said before the elevator came to a stop.

* * *

The poorly lit chamber did nothing but add an extra layer of fatigue to Cara's eyes. Blinking away the sleepiness, she leaned against the wall. She had been hard at work for hours, and had never stopped to rest. A part of her wanted to collapse, to just break down and sleep on the floor. However, the other, much louder, part of her told her to see the test through, to not break the momentum.

She yawned before she stood up straight. A quick scan of the room gave her some insight of the solution. Portal here, portal there, drop the cube, press button, put cube on the button, and presto. Her movements were slow, unfocused, but she ended up with a solved chamber. The blip from the door sounded and she leaned against the wall, sinking to the floor. It was too much for her. She had pushed herself too much throughout the day.

She heard the familiar chirp of the speakers, though her brain didnt process it. Her gaze was to the floor as Wheatley's voice echoed through the room.

"Alright! " he said cheerfully, "Another successful test completed! You know, I was afraid that you weren't going to be able to finish this one! Glad you stuck it out! "

Cara said nothing, just stared at the floor. There was a steady up-down of her chest. It was as if she would pass out any moment. Wheatley called her name a few times, seeming concerned. The man had seen this before. He had seen multiple test subjects act like this before dropping to the ground, motionless. Suddenly, the speakers chirped off, and all was silent for a few minutes.

After the minutes of silence, the wall panels beside her opened up. Wheatley stepped out and immediately kneeled beside her. His hands found her cheeks, lifting her face enough to examine her blank expression. His eyebrows furrowed with concern. Her eyes followed his. After a small moment, she spoke.

"What are you doing, Wheatley? " she asked quietly.

"Can you stand? " was all he asked.

She raised an eyebrow, "Yeah? Jeez, what's your deal..? " she asked before trying to stand.

Her sore legs started to straighten underneath her, lifting her to a standing position. Cara held it for a few seconds before her knees buckled. She reached for the wall to brace herself, but she missed. Thank goodness Wheatley caught her, or she would've crumbled to the floor.

"Im fine. " Cara said, face red with embarrassment as her face buried itself in his chest.

"You can barely stand. " he said, "I can't let you continue like this. You're going to get yourself killed."

She shook her head, "No... Please, just one more. I can do it. "

He lowered her so she could sit down, joining her, "Look, I know your limits as well as you do. Stop trying to convince yourself you can do something when you can't. "

She was silent, staring at the portal gun in her hand.

The man continued, "What do you even have to gain from pushing yourself to the point of collapsing, huh? What do you get out of it? Because the way I'm seeing this, you don't get anything out of it. In fact, you lose when you do this."

She sighed, mumbling quietly, "The sooner I complete her tests... The sooner she'll let me go. "

Wheatley's expression fell, staring at her. He knew GLaDOS had no intention of letting her go. The man couldn't help but pity the girl, they had trapped her for five years. Every day they promised to let her go once she was finished, and every day they were lying through their teeth.

"Well... What good will pushing yourself like this do then? When we let you go, you'd be too exhausted to go anywhere... " he stood, turning around, "Here. Get on my back. "

Cara would've protested if she hadn't been so tired. She brought herself to her feet once more before climbing onto his back. As soon as she was safely on his back, he began walking to one of those relaxation chambers. There, he knew she could sleep soundly.

After a short while of walking, he turned his head to speak to Cara, "You doing alright back there? You're awfully qui-"

He was interrupted with a snore.

A smile spread across his face, turning back to the path, "Goodnight, love. "


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Going into stasis was always odd for Chell.

It wasn't like falling asleep. It wasn't like anything. With sleep, you can, in most cases, register that time was passing. With stasis, it was nothing. It wasn't blackness, it wasn't floating, it wasn't comatose. It was closing your eyes and opening them in a different place, a different time. She had always hated it, how often She had used it to keep her at bay while she waited for more tests.

What she hated the most was the she would open her eyes and not know where she was or how long she had been there. The stasis preserved her, kept her alive, kept her from aging while they waited. Because of this, Chell didn't even know how old she was. It haunted her, made her question everything. She questioned whether her real parents really abandoned her, or if they were dead and had been for a long time.

Of course she couldn't question any of that now, seeing as she is in another stasis. When the buss arrived at the town, she had been checked into the hospital. There she stayed, motionless save for her slow breathing. Five years, she was like this. Five years of nurses coming in and out to check vitals, to refile saline drips, to give sponge baths. Doctors said she would never wake up. Until now, at least...

Chell's eyes snapped open as she gasped back to life, the nurse that was in the room letting out an eardrum-rupturing scream. The former test subjects first instinct was to try and get up, panic overtaking her. Though, she couldnt go far. She was hooked up to all sorts of machines. The nurse rushed to her side, also seeming to panic.

"ma'am! ma'am, I need you to keep in bed! " she said, trying to lay her back down.

Chell fought against her, her voice cracking and wavering as she tried to remember how to speak, "H... o.. w lo.. ng? " she asked.

"ma'am, I'm sorry, I don't know what youre trying to tell me- Can I get a doctor in here?! " she called out the door over her shoulder before turning back to Chell, "Please, ma'am you have to get back in bed you shouldn't be on your feet! "

Her eyebrows furrowed as she made distressed noises, continuing to try to form words, "ho.. w.. lon.. g.. h.. ow.. long? How.. long? How long?! "

"How long? How long were you out?" she asked.

She nodded as relief washed over her; thank God someone understood her.

"Ma'am youve been in a coma for five years. "

The relief was now replaced with more panic, "f.. iv... e... " Her struggling increased, "kuh! aara! Cara! " she called, fighting against the nurse.

"I need a doctor in here right now! I have an agitated coma patient!" The nurse called out the door again.

This time, people did come. Two nurses and a doctor rushed in, and they imediately began to pin Chell down on the hospital bed. Despite her continuous effort and screaming, they still managed to keep her down as the doctor added a sedative to her saline drip. She couldnt help but panic as she began to lose control again, the sedative taking its course.

"Ca.. ra.. " she rasped, her throat already sore from her screaming.

It wasn't long before she was out again.

* * *

Wheatley quietly entered Cara's relaxation chamber, sighing with relief as he saw her sleeping figure. Good, she didn't notice him leave. He takes his place in the chair by the bed, picking up the book he was failing to read. He had found it one day when he was looking through one of the rooms, "Of Mice and Men. " The beautiful illustration on the cover had caught his eye, and he thought it was a picture book. Opening the book, he was mistaken.

"No pictures in this bloody thing... How do people even know what's going on? " he muttered to him, trying to focus on interpereting the words.

After a while, Cara stirred awake. Her eyes opened and she sat up to see Wheatley squinting at the page as if to scan it.

"Wheatley? What are you doing? " She asked.

"Trying to read this bloody book. Seriously, no pictures at all? It's mad! How is anyone supposed to understand what's going on? " He gave a defeated groan.

Cara furrowed her eyebrows, standing and walking over, "Here, let me see if I can help." She pointed to the first line of the page, reading it off, "' _A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool.'_ "

Wheatley looked to Cara as she read to him, wonder in his eyes.

"So, right now, the writer is setting the stage. The story is going to take place either near or at this river. After all, it's the first two sentences in the book. "

"You can just _read_ that easily? And understand it?" His eyes nearly sparkled, "That's bloody brilliant! How do you do that? "

She blushed, "Years and years of practicing. I actually used to be a big reader back in middle school. "

"So you can just read anything? " He asked, becoming almost like a child in his curiosity.

She chuckled, "Not everything. There are still a lot of words I don't know, but my teacher taught me tricks so that I dont have to ask every time I see a knew word. Like... " she searched the page for a word I don't know. Finally, she found one and pointed to it, "This one! I can take the letters and spell it out. So... Re-cum-bant, or 'recumbent'. Now, I'm really not sure what it means, but I can use the rest of the sentence to piece together what it could mean. "

He listened as she explained context clues. It was so interesting how much she knew, hearing her babble on and on about reading.

"... This is the first time I heard you talk about something that wasn't testing. " He pointed out, and she fell silent.

Her hands tugged at the sleeves of her jumpsuit, shyly smiling, "Sorry... I get really carried away when it comes to reading. " she apologized.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he put his book down, "Why are you apologizing? It was the first time I've seen you get passionate about anything... Come to think of it, I don't even know anything about you, save that youre excellent at testing... "

"Well... there's really not much to know." Cara said, going back to sit on the bed.

"Of course there is!" He stood, pacing, "What's your favorite animal? What are your pet peeves? Uh... " he tried to think of more, "Do you have any allergies? "

She giggled, "Allergies? really? " she asked, quirking her eyebrow up.

He turned a deep red and laughed, "That's not fair, you put me on the spot!" he averted his gaze.

It was silent for a moment before Cara sighed, "pineapple. "

He looked to her, "I'm sorry, _what?_ " he asked, wondering where that had come from.

"You asked me if I had any allergies. I'm allergic to pineapple." She smiled.

He nodded, scratching the back of his head, "Favorite animal?"

"Cat. "

"Favorite color? "

"Pink, but not a bright-ass pink. The color the sky makes when the sun rises, that pink. " She explained, a dreamy look in her eye.

"The sky turns pink when the sun rises?" Wheatley asked, "That sounds beautiful... "

She nodded, "It's gorgeous... Wait. " she looked to him, almost a sad look in her eye, "You haven't seen the sunrise before? "

"Never seen the sun before... only the moon. " He said quietly.

She mad an "oh" shape with her mouth as the room fell deadly silent once more. The only sounds that could be heard were the echoes of the facility. The clanging and metal sounds were sobering, reminding Cara there was still work to be done. Standing up, she looked back at Wheatley.

"Now, this break was nice, but I think I should be getting back to testing." She smiled sheepishly.

His attention snapped back to her, "Hm? Oh, right this way!"

He grabbed her by the hand and walked out of the room. As they traversed the labyrinth of catwalks, They passed by the control center. Wheatley couldn't help but sneak a peak at the large moniter.

 _Sedation Terminated: Subject Now Alert and Stable._

He smiled to himself, though he knew _She_ was going to have his head for this. He just hoped this would be worth it.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7_**

"I can't believe after all these years... you finally woke up... " Chell heard a voice say beside her as she regained her consciousness.

Her eyes fluttered open to see a familiar face, though seeming older than when she saw him last. It was Luke, his five o'clock shadow contrasting against his pale skin. His eyes widened as he met her gaze.

"Chell.. " he said softly.

She swallowed hard before trying to speak, "Luke.. " she said, her voice wavering.

He smiled, "Hey, kiddo. How you holding up? "

She smiled a little, "I... tho.. ught-" she coughed, her throat raw.

His eyebrows furrowed, "Easy there, kiddo. Don't push yourself." he looked down before reaching into his bag and grabbing a pen and paper, "Here. Just write for now. "

She scribbled some words onto the paper before sliding it to him.

 _I thought I told you not to call me that._

He laughs a little bit, "Sorry. I nearly forgot... Eighteen years really does a number on your memory... especially on my old brain. "

She shrugged before writing more, _How did you find me?_

He looked out the door, "When you collapsed that day... I was the one that emitted you here. I put myself as your emergency contact... I didn't think you were ever going to wake up... " He sounded a bit upset, "I was scared for you. "

She tapped on his shoulder before writing more, _"It was them again. The ones I told you about. They were able to put me under again. I don't know how. "_

His eyes softened, "That explains your deficit of speech... Do you know why? "

 _They have my daughter. I was coming back to get her. They're trying to stop me. The real question is how am I awake._ She shrugged.

He read, his eyebrows furrowing, "Daughter...? You have a daughter? Whats her name? "

She looked at the paper before sliding it away, trying to speak again, "Ca.. ra... Cara. " she smiled.

"Cara... " He repeated, "That's a pretty name. I would've loved to meet her... "

He stood, pacing a little, "I was so worried about you all those years... Thirteen years. You don't call, you don't write. The only time I saw you was when you _collapsed on a bus_ that I happened to be on. Really, Chell? You couldn't have been bothered to pick up the phone?

Though, a part of Luke admonished himself for lecturing her right out of a Coma. There were so many unresolved issues, he couldn't help but take them out on her as soon as he was able to. In truth, he was angry. They had spent two years living together. He had taken care of her, taught her how to speak, taught her how the world worked, and suddenly she's up and gone. No note, no call. It had terrified him.

Chell looked back to the paper before slowly writing an apology, _I needed to get over that part of my life. I needed to move on._

"You could've told me! I would've helped you!" He stepped forward, losing his composure for a moment.

 _It's so hard to explain, but there was really no time to get you involved. Trust me, it was better this way. There is so much more going on than you understand._

" _Try me. "_ he pleaded, "It's easy for you to say these things because you won't even try to explain what all happened down there. It's better than leaving for thirteen years without a word!"

It was silent again. Chell sat back in her bed as her eyes went to the floor in shame. Her vision grew blurry as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. It wasn't that she didn't care about him. In truth, she saw him as the father she never knew. It was just that so many things had happened so quickly, and she needed to leave immediately.

"... I'm... sor.. ry. " she choked, her speaking even worse when she was crying.

He stopped pacing to look at her, his eyes widening as he saw her tears. He immediately came to her side, hushing her.

"Hey, hey... I'm sorry... I just got so worried for you, and angry because I didn't understand. It's all in the past, okay? Now, we have to focus on finding Cara and bringing her home. "

"... We...? " she asked.

"You think I'm going to let you go back down there by yourself? " He shook his head, gently wiping the tears from her face, "We're going to do this together. "

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head in panic. She let out a slew of nos, though garbled and slurred together. She couldn't let him go with her, He couldn't possibly understand the dangers under the surface of that wheat field.

Luke cupped her face, trying to calm her down again, "Woah, woah, woah! Slow down there! Hey, it's okay! "

Her hand reached for the pencil, scribbling quickly on the paper. _You can't. It's too dangerous. You don't know what's down there._

"And you do?! " He asked.

 _More than you. I'm better equipped for that hellhole._

He shook his head, standing and wiping the sleepiness from his face, "I'm not letting you go alone. You'll get killed down there."

 _And you think you'd be able to protect me? You'd just die down there along with me. You'll only slow me down._

She looked at him with a tearful expression, "I...D..on't...I don't want y..ou to di..e.." She cried.

He stopped again, pacing. There had to be a way, "I don't want you to die either." He said, sighing, "Look, there's safety in numbers. If we go together, there's less of a chance of either of us dying. I can watch your back, you can watch mine, and no one has to die."

Chell sat silently, weighing her options. He wasn't going to let off on this, and there was no way to really convince him that this was something that she had to do alone. She could, of course, leave while he wasn't looking, but she would just be breaking the man's heart again. He's done everything for her, and Chell owes him more than that. Then again, having him to watch her back might have them last long enough to find Cara and get her out of there. Giving an exasperated sigh, she reached for the pencil again.

 _Fine, but if we do this, it has to be on MY terms. You do exactly as I tell you to._

He nodded, relief evident, "Of course. Of course. " he said.

She smiled, writing once more, _"Good. Lets get started. "_

God, they were going to die.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8_**

Something about Cara drew Wheatley in, like a moth to a flame. Her smile, her laugh, the way she solved puzzle after puzzle, it all just attracted him. It pulled him towards her like a magnet.

Every moment he spent away from the observation doc, he wished he was there. Though he would much rather be in her presence, he had to settle for the large screen. Why was he so infatuated with her? Why did he feel the need to be around her all the time? It frustrated the man, made his head hurt. He groaned in response, holding his head. Curse being human, having pain.

Cara looked towards the camera, brow furrowed with worry, "Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

His microphone was still on.

Wheatley scrambled for the microphone, fumbling with it, "Oh-ugh... It's just headaches. Why do humans have to be in pain all the time? What's the purpose of having a headache? " He asked, massaging his temples for some relief.

She raised an eyebrow, " It really shouldn't happen all that often... Here, pinch the skin in between your thumb and your index finger." she removed her portal gun and demonstrated as she spoke, holding it up for the camera to see, "Like this! As long as you hold it like this, you should feel some relief!"

Wheatley raised an eyebrow as he reached to do what she said, "How would pinching your hand help your.." He looked down to his thumb pressing on his pressure point, "...Oh." He said.

She smiled, her nose scrunching up a bit as she did so, "See?" She put her portal gun back on and resumed the test, "You probably have a headache because you're dehydrated.

"Dehydrated?" He echoed.

"Yeah, like you're not drinking enough water." She elaborated.

His eyebrows knitted together, "No, I know what the word means. Humans are supposed to drink water?"

"Of course we are!" She laughed, before giving a thoughtful look, "Wait...You've been a human for two years, how do you not know this?"

"let me answer that question with a question: When I get headaches like this, why would I ever think that something that used to be able to kill me would be the only thing that could help me? I mean, _I_ was told that is I ever touched water, I would die! Completely fizzle out! My circuits would be done for good. Now, is that enough to keep you form water? It's enough for me to be shaking in my boots-"

Cara chuckled, "Wheatley, You're fine! you're not a robot anymore!" She said reassuringly, shooting another portal and going through, "Water is necessary for survival! And unless you breathe it in, you're fine!"

Wheatley sighed, his hand letting up on his pressure point and letting his headache come back. He groaned before leaning into the microphone, "Hey, one more question?"

She looked to the camera, "Mhm?" She hummed.

"Do you know where I can get water?"

* * *

Chell, after a few days, had most of her speech back. She still had trouble annunciating bigger words, but she could communicate without having to write. She stayed at Luke's house while she recovered. And though she wanted to just leave him out of this entire ordeal, she didn't have a choice. So there she sat, drinking coffee across the counter from him and working on a map. Well, not really a map. That was the problem. She only had the relative locations of certain rooms. She doesn't know the entire layout of the damned place. It frustrated her to no end, but the makeshift map would have to do.

"Okay." She said, beckoning Luke over as she took a sip of the coffee.

Luke looked over to her and the paper, "What's that?" He asked.

"The worst map ever." She said, "I've drawn the points of inertest-"

" _Interest."_ Luke corrected.

"Uh, Right. _Interest._ " She echoed, drawing the word out a bit, "I've drawn the places we need to check when we go back there. Since this place is so damn big, I have _no idea_ where they're really at. All of this is a shot in the dark, really-"

"Chell, go on."

She took another sip of coffee, "Anyways. I've listed some key areas we need to visit, wherever they are. The first place we need to visit is the neutoroxin. "she fumbled with the word "Neurotoxin," but she went on, "We turn that off, she can't pipe that through any room we're in and kill us. Next, we find the template that she uses to make the turrets, and we switch it out with a dud of some sort. Then, we find Cara."

Luke Gave her a skeptical look, "how do you know all of this?" He asked.

"I've done this before." She said, "It would've worked, too, if _he_ didn't let power get to his head." A sigh escaped her lips, "Anyways, There are catwalks going everywhere, a few lifts here and there." She looked up at him, "There will be test chambers everywhere. Don't go in there. She can't see us if we're on the catwalks, and the second we step in a test chamber, she can see us. As soon as we shut off everything, we can search the test chambers for Cara, because it won't matter if she sees us or not because she can't hurt us."

"Alright, so we shut off everything that can kill us, then we turn the place inside out to find your daughter, and then..?"

"The hardest part: escaping together." She admitted, "We have to find the one exit and leave before she can do anything about it."

Luke wanted to ask what she would do if they didn't leave in time, but the answer was a bit obvious, "...And then what?"

There was a short bit of silence as the question hung in the air. What was going to happen after they rescued Cara? Would they just go back to where they were before? What kind of state would Cara even be in? For all they knew, she could end up worse than Chell. She wouldn't be able to go to school, picking up where she should be. And what about Luke? What would he do after this?

Chell finished off her coffee, "We'll figure it out later, but right now we have to get my daughter back." She looked over her diagram one more time, "Do you have any questions?"

Luke was silent, shaking his head.

"Then we leave tonight."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

Chell, in hindsight, really didn't mentally prepare herself.

She thought she would just be ready to waltz back in there again. however, there she stood at the very edge of the wheat field, staring at the border between the crops and the road, and for a moment, she didn't move a muscle. She only listened as cars passed behind them. Sometimes, she could hear the music from the cars, growing in volume before fading. A hand, warm and comforting, reached out and touched her shoulder gently, and that touch alone sobered her, brought her back to reality.

"This is where you found me." She said suddenly, without being prompted.

There was a nod from Luke, "It is..."

She looked to him, "what did you think...the first time we met?"

He took a step forward, now standing adjacent to his shorter counterpart as he looked up at the blanket of stars above them, "Well, at first, I was terrified. I mean, you practically jumped right in front of me." The man smiled, though the grin fell after a moment, "I had never seen anyone that terrified before..."

"...why did you take me in?"

He glanced at her for a moment before staring back up at the night sky, "I don't think I can give you a straight answer... I'm not even sure to this day... I just felt like I needed to help you."

It was silent after that, not even cars passing. The only sound that filled the air was the loud chirping of crickets. Luke stared at Chell, seeing her hesitance.

"Chell..." he said, seeking her gaze.

She looked to the older man, her the moon making a glare in her brown eyes.

His eyebrows furrowed, "Whatever happens down there... We'll go through it together."

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. Luke squeezed her shoulder a bit, moving his hand to the top of her head for a gentle pat.

"Let's go, Kiddo." He said, gesturing to the wheat field.

Chell sighed, her eyes lifting to the field. She watched the strands of wheat dance in the wind. Her internal monologue told her she could do this. She could do this.

"I can do this..." Chell mumbled quietly to herself, sighing before she stepped into the field.

She pushed the crops out of the way as she walked, taking deep breaths. The woman could hear Luke marching behind her, following her every move. They kept moving like this for what seemed like forever. The only thing that gave her any hint that they were actually moving was the fading or the car sounds, and even that was gone after a while. God, she couldn't even remember how long she had walked the last time.

One foot after the other, the woman kept herself going through sheer momentum, going on autopilot as she buried herself in her mind again. Luke watched her look up at the sky, then towards the invisible horizon line before them. He wished she could tell him everything that happened down there. He wished she could at least try to explain the horrors she had experienced.

"It was lonely." She said, finally.

Luke blinked his thoughts away, "Pardon?" he asked, not quite sure what she was talking about.

"Down there," She pointed in a general direction underground, "Aperture." She sighed, "It was lonely. There was no one there. I was the only human there. Everything else there tried to kill me, or would want to eventually.." She sighed, "It'll be good to not be alone down there." She looked back at him with a smile.

He smiled back, though didn't say anything in response as she looked forward. After a few steps, her head dropped.

"Cara must feel so alone." She said, "Five years... five years, she's been like this..." She looked up, tears in her eyes, "She never was much of a social butterfly. She liked the company of a book over the company of the girls her age, but even still... Those, big, empty rooms... You can't help but to feel so _small_ , so _alone_..." Her arms wrapped around her, trying to comfort herself with a hug.

Without hesitation, he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Everything's going to be fine." He said, finality in his voice, "We're going to find her, we're going to get her back."

She felt a few tears escape, looking back to Luke, " You know, you don't have to say those things. You can just say how much all of this sucks."

Luke smiled, "Since when has talking like that ever helped?"

Chell was silent, knowing the correctness of the statement.

He sighed, "Look, we need to keep positive. The only way that we can do this is to see that everything will be okay. Okay?"

Chell smiled, turning forward, "Okay."


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter 10_**

Cara never seemed to get the concept that Aperture was dangerous.

In the back of her mind, she always knew that it was, but she always thought that they wouldn't _actually_ hurt her. She always thought that she would be saved. She remembered The first time she had encountered something dangerous. Cara had been fourteen, and she had started to really get the hang of the portal gun and how to use physics to her advantage.

The teen had stepped into the harshly lit chamber, a bit puzzled at the radio silence of her captors. She had heard practically nothing from them in the past few tests. A cube dropped near her as she continued to walk through the white room in an incautious manner. One step after another, she didn't seem to notice, or maybe she just didn't care, that she was getting close to a pit. The teen had known her fair share of pits, having to use them for momentum and all that, and since there was usually nothing but portal surfaces at the bottom, she didn't quite care if she fell in. As long as she landed on her feet, that is.

Her footsteps echoed through the virtually empty room, getting dangerously close to this pit. She would've fallen in if she took another step. However, The speakers finally clicked on, and a voice interrupted her.

"- _op!_ " Wheatley cried, his voice rising in urgency, "Stop, stop, stop, stop!"

Cara jumped back, his sudden return, along with his interjection, scaring her half to death. She looked for the nearest camera with a panic-stricken glare, "What the hell, Wheatley?!" She asked, her voice nearly raising an octave in distress.

"For God's sake, woman!" He said, sighing with relief, yet seeming angry, "Look at your surroundings, would you?"

The fourteen-year-old looked around, "What? It's just a pit-!" Her eyes trailed to the bottom, seeing the greenish liquid on the bottom, "oh."

"Yeah, 'Oh' is right!" The man chided, panic still in his voice.

"What _is_ that stuff?" She asked kicking a bit of rubble into the pit.

"Pure sulfuric acid." He said. The rubble seemed to bubble at the surface before sinking to the bottom, "You land in that, you're done for."

Cara shuddered, stepping back from it, "You mean...it'll kill me...? What the hell kind of lab is this?!"

Wheatley shrugged, though he knew she couldn't see him, "I don't make the tests, but She said that adding an element of danger has a positive relationship with solved tests. "

The girl huffed, "'an element of danger.' fun, fun." She said, sarcasm dripping from her lips, "So, I'm stuck in a lab in _God knows where_ , forced to solve tests after test, and now if I don't do this test's correctly, I can die?!"

"...That does seem about right, yes."

The teen sighed, her gaze not leaving the acid as she sat down. Tears burned in her eyes as she clasped her hands behind her neck. The room seemed to grow around her, and she shrunk with it. Her indignance burned a hole in her chest, leaving a crushing dispair in its wake. The teen already thought it was hard enough to make even a dent in GLaDOS's deluge of chambers. However, now she not only something that slows her down substantially, but it could also cost her life.

The room felt suffocatingly big, like a house-sized coffin. She couldn't help but curl up more to hide her face from the camera focusing on her. A tear escaped, rolling down her cheek.

"God.." She whimpered, her voice filling the empty air, "I'm gonna die down here...I'm gonna die, and no one's going to find me..!" She sobbed.

He felt a jolt in his system. Though, the man couldn't really say that anymore-he was always reminding himself that he was human now. He felt panic rise up in him. There, better. He never knew what to do when she got like this, and he didn't like how it made him feel. It was like his ribs were being crushed by some unknown force. It was odd, unpleasant. All he knew was that she had to keep testing, and he had to get her to _stop bloody crying._

"Hey, hey, hey!" He cried, his voice hurried a bit in desperation, "There's no need for tears- I mean, you're not going to die! Sure, there's a pit of acid, but all you gotta do is ...not fall into it! yeah! Easily solvable! Don't fall in, and solve the test! You solve it, and you're _one test closer_ to getting out of here!"

He kept his finger on the microphone button, awaiting a response. However, she continued to sit there, her sobs echoing off the walls. He bit his lip, feeling his heart ache in response to her tears. He took a breath in alarm, searching himself for anything that could get her to stop crying and get her to test.

' _Get her to stop crying, and to continue testing.'_ He remembered She said, ' _Whatever it takes. We need results.'_

"Don't you want to see the sun again, Cara?" he asked, feeling his heart shatter a bit when he did, "Wouldn't it be great to see the beautiful light-real light- of day again? I mean, _I've_ never seen it, got my fill of the moon though, but I believe that the sight of a truly blue sky would be a beauty to behold! Just think: midday, azure blue sky, no clouds or anything! Unless you like clouds, umm- then it's just _covered_ in clouds. I mean just a _blanket_ of cotton-y goodness! Oh, c'mon, wouldn't that be great?"

This time, she did look up. She smiled through her tears, wiping them away as she spoke, "Yeah, yeah that would be great... I want to see the sky again." She said in nearly a whimper.

"Then you'll see this through! You gotta get back in there and finish those tests!" He said, watching her stand up and brandish her portal gun, "Brilliant! You can do this, love!"

* * *

Cara, now eighteen, had seen her fair share of acid pits.

Ever since that day- or night, she was never quite sure- she had passed and overcome each H2SO4-based obstacle with the resilience and resolve a soldier. In fact, they weren't much of a problem anymore. She had never gotten close to falling in since that chamber.

In fact, she was starting to over-look them.

Don't get her wrong, she knew they were dangerous, but only if she fell in. And if you have a handy-dandy portal gun to get past them, they weren't a problem at all. Portal here, portal there, and bam! Hazard gone!

Cara stepping into the next chamber, this being the third chamber she has been directed to since She was told that she was to solve these on her first two were challenging enough, beads of sweat on her forehead turning more into bullets with each passing hour. However, this one seemed the most challenging of the set. As soon as she stepped onto the grate, her nose crinkled at the smell of sulfur. The entire room was filled with it with only a few tall islands of portal surfaces, though they were all the way on the other side of the room.

Wheatley watched Cara's calculated gaze from the multitude of monitors in front of him. He watched her as she scanned the possible portal placement. He recognized the look, seeing it so many times in her mother. She was a lot like her mother, after all. Her resilience, her strength, her endurance, she was persistent too. However, there was something that had always set her off from Chell, one fatal flaw.

Cara was incredibly impatient.

She wanted out of there, and she wanted out of there as soon as possible. Because of this, she cut corners. She was careless, and she had never seen any real repercussions for it. She never had to face the consequences, not any dangerous ones at least.

The teen shot her portals one at her feet, and one at the ceiling. She fell through, feeling the wind cool her damp skin. She searched the room, quickly shooting her next portal. She thought she had made enough momentum to shoot through and land on the other side. She thought she had picked up enough speed.

She had miscalculated.

Instead, she saw herself shooting toward the ledge, hitting it so hard that it knocked the wind out of her. She quickly grabbed onto the edge, gasping for air. The teen immediately looked at the acid below her, trying to get a scream out. The only thing she could manage to get out was a pitiful cry for help as she held on for dear life. she tried to look for a camera, something to signal that she was in distress, but she found nothing.

"Help! Wheatley!" she screamed, her shrill voice reverberating harshly off the walls.

She threw her portal gun over the edge, using her other hand to hold on. She kicked and squirmed, trying to pull herself up, but the sweat of her palms only made her slowly lose grip. She grunted and screamed, attempting to muster the strength to heave herself over the edge. It was no use, she was slipping. Cara was going to fall. Cara was going to die, and no one would be able to find her.

She sobbed, her voice raw with desperation as she continued to struggle. Over her screams, she could have sworn she heard a panel open up, but she couldn't concentrate on that. Her palms felt colder as she tried to hang on. She had to get out, she had to-

Just then, she felt a hand reach down and grab her arm. Her gaze snapped up, her eyes widening as she saw Wheatley. The man pulled her up, grunting a bit as he did, "Don't worry!" He grunted as he pulled, "I got you, I've got you!" He said, panic in his own voice.

Soon, The man pulled her over the edge, falling on his back as he did. The air was still after that, only the sound of their panting in the room. After a while, He sat back up, wearing a still-panicked expression.

"Man alive, lady..." He said running his fingers through his already tousled hair, "You've been working with momentum for _years_! How did you not know that you weren't going to make that? I mean, I _barely_ even saw you think about that jump!" He cried, his face burning with anger.

Cara, however, wasn't listening. Instead, his words only echoed in her head. Her gaze was still on the acid, her heart pounding in her ears. Tears continued to fall, curling herself into a ball as she slowly sat up. Her hands, shakey and apprehensive, went to her forehead. She pushed back any stray hairs that managed to fall out of her ponytail, the sweat of her forehead keeping them down against her head.

"I almost _died_..." Her words barely a whisper, "I was about to _fall_.."

Wheatley scoffed, standing up "Yeah! You could've died! You were being careless!"

Cara looked to him, becoming more aware of his yelling, "Wheatley..?"

"-If it wasn't for me, you would've been eaten away by now!" His voice rose in intensity as he paced in front of her, his gangly legs creating long strides, "Do you have a death wish?! I know you're itching to get out of here, but what good is it if you're just _launching yourself into pits_!? Answer: No good. It does no good at all! In fact, It'll just make your situation _worse!_ Bloody hell, love!" He looked over to see Cara, her cheeks flushed with tears.

She hiccuped, her shoulders quaking as she sobbed into her knees, "I'm- I'm _sorry,_ okay?" She whimpered, "I wasn't thinking, I was being stupid, and you had to save me because of it. I'm _sorry_.."

Wheatley felt his anger dissipate, his heart becoming heavy again at the sight of her crying. Shit. This wasn't what he wanted. His heart was shattering, knowing that he had made her feel worse.

"Bloody-" He sighed, "Wait, no, I didn't mean for you to apologize for anything..." He said, rushing to her side.

Wheatley's arms went immediately around her. He didn't know why that was his first reaction; it just felt right to him. He guessed it was from the pictures he had seen in Chell's house the night he took Cara, most of the pictures having at least someone hugging her. However, to his surprise, Cara didn't hug back. In fact, she shook her head with a whimper.

"No, no. I _get_ it. I was being such an...an _idiot_ and because of that you're mad because you had to save me.."

He drew back slightly, his brow furrowing in confusion, "Angry..? No, I didn't- Hey, look at me..." he said softly, gently cupping her damp cheek to turn her head. She complied, shifting her gaze to him with glassy eyes.

The man sighed, "I didn't mean to yell... I just- I was _scared._ You could have fallen. You could have _died._ I almost _lost_ you."

She sniffled, tears still falling despite herself, "Lost me..?" She echoed, unintentionally leaning into his touch.

He nodded, and for the first time, the man seemed to choke on his words, "I... I'm not sure what I'd do if you had fallen in... You're what makes this...this _hell_ interesting." He said softly, "You're what makes all of this worth it."

Cara's cheeks darkened, averting her eyes. He had never said anything like that to her before. It felt... odd.

"... I should finish this test.." She said, beginning to stand up.

She stood up slowly, though it still seemed too fast for her. Her vision went black, feeling as if the blood in her body rushed away from her brain. Cara's head felt funny, unable to process how she was losing control of her body. The teen stumbled, falling into Wheatley's arms beforecompletely losing conciousness.


End file.
